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Ever wonder what a Day of Coordinator does? Also called a Wedding Coordinator, this person is usually hired a few months prior to the wedding and is in charge of overseeing the weekend activities. Certified Wedding Planners will offer these 'day of services'.

The coordinator starts working with the engaged couple 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding, and will create and execute a detailed timeline. The coordinator works with all vendors involved with the wedding, and makes sure the couple and their families are taken care of. Throughout this blog we will cover some specifics of what a wedding coordinator can do for you!

Dave Breisacher Photography

Who are those people holding the umbrellas? They are wedding coordinators! Specifically, that is a picture of me and one of my assistants, waiting in the rain for a bridal party to arrive by trolley. Since it was raining, we made sure that the bridesmaids, bride, and mother of the bride would not get wet on their way into the church. This is one of the hundreds of small details a coordinator will cover on your wedding day.

Philip Gabriel Photography

Here's another one of us on a rainy wedding day in the city. Our job is to make sure those hours the bride just spent to get ready don't go to waste!

Dave Breisacher Photography

Pete Lounsbury Photography

Those are my hands! Coordinators arrive to the church or ceremony location very early. We make sure all of the groomsmen look 'wedding ready'. Sometimes this means pinning on their boutineers or tying their bow ties. At ceremonies we can help hand out wedding programs, help escort guests, and get the bridal party lined up to walk down the aisle. We calm down brides before they make their trek down the aisle, we fluff gowns, fix veils, roll out aisle runners, and work with your officiant and musician to make sure the ceremony runs smoothly.

Pete Lounsbury Photography

Me again! I swear this blog is not intended to have tons of pictures of myself. But I think it's important to see what a coordinator actually does, especially if you are on the fence about hiring one for your own wedding. Have you ever been to a wedding where it was clear the couple could have used more help? Maybe the ceremony did not start on time, you had to wait until 10:00 pm to eat your dinner, or the bride's mother was running around not enjoying herself? Most likely this couple did not have a wedding coordinator.

Ambar Moreno Photography

Not the most flattering picture of me, but did you ever think about who will get the door for the bride? Who is holding her stuff while she walks down the aisle to her fiance? These are the things a wedding coordinator will take care of.

One of the bigger challenges of a ceremony can be to get little ones down the aisle. It's a long day for a toddler, and sometimes they are just not in the mood to be in a wedding. The picture above is from Sammy + Bernard's wedding which got picked up by The Chive. We all worked very hard to get little Cooper down the aisle and he did not disapoint! If you are going to have flower girls and ring bearers in your wedding party you need to think about who will be in back helping them fullfill their job duties.

OK now the fun stuff-- the reception. Usually a wedding coordinator will head over to your reception site immediatley following the ceremony, or they may have been there hours earlier to set up. A wedding coordinator can set up your tables, chairs, and linens. We make sure your seating chart cooresponds to the number of tables and chairs set up (you wouldn't believe how often we find mistakes!) We set up all of your decor-- pictures, candles, gift card box, signs, lanterns, table numbers, escort cards, favors, etc. Once your reception get started we work with your vendors, specifically your DJ/Band and caterer, to make sure your timeline is followed.

Demi Mabry Photography

Throughout your reception we make sure you, your family, and guests are all taken care of. This might mean helping Grandma to the bathroom, getting your drinks from the bar, getting Uncle Lou a new chair, and getting an Uber for your college roommate. After your reception has ended we help clean up and load up your gifts into someone's car. We can even return rentals the next day. Who is going to return all of your groomsmen's tuxedos the morning after your wedding?

We also bring a ton of "stuff" with us to your wedding. We bring 'Bridal Emergency Kits' that have items like hairspray and bobby pins, but we also bring items like hammers, hand steamers, bottle openers, and extension cords. ​

Demi Mabry Photography

Wedding Coordinators can also drop off Welcome Bags to hotels, can drop off items at your venue days before your wedding, and can bring decor for couples to use. My couples have used my box for wedding cards, as well as signage. One bride used a spare garter I had brought to her wedding, and another couple used a spare cake cutting set since they forgot theirs. A coordinator makes sure nothing falls through the cracks on your wedding day.

​Most coordinators do free consultations with a couple. I suggest taking advantage of this! Meet with a coordinator (or several!) to see what a wedding coordinator can do for you on your wedding.